Apple Retail Ends Genius Training in Cupertino, Moves to In-Store Web Seminars

[ZMacintosh]

It highly depended on market and the shift after 2008-2009.

Pre-2008 there was exceptional quality, but never heavily focused on "tech skills" though, it didn't get that focus until their training came through where solutions were developed and the focus on the abilities of Mac OS X were attributed.

After 2008/09 and the Family Room roles become prominent and there was a definite retail shift in not so much focus on going above and beyond, to gearing more towards consumer product pushes and quick in and out service, so that initial training we received pre-shift era was effective.

Most of the crew I worked with ended up in IT in some of the Top companies, startups, MDM and solution services companies that are partnered with Apple.

But there has been a steady decline in recent years in the quality both from a behind the bar and customer stand point. There are some diamonds in the rough who when you talk with them, they know and help you out.

 

[timmarris]

For years, Apple has sent new Genius hires to its Infinite Loop headquarters in Cupertino, or sometimes an auxiliary campus in Austin or Cork, to receive hands-on training for up to three weeks. Recently, however, Apple appears to have stopped offering these group-oriented trips, according to people familiar with the matter.

Apple's off-site Genius Training program has been replaced by an in-store, self-guided experience using company-provided reference materials, according to a source. The training now involves watching web-based seminars through the Apple Technical Learning Administration System, or ATLAS, another source said.

In Cupertino, Apple had a small training facility with a mock Genius Bar and Macs set aside specifically for trainees to take apart and perform test repairs on. But with the switch to web-based seminars, Apple is allegedly providing "virtual take aparts" only now, with no physical hardware.

"This means that many customers who check their computers in for repair may have their device serviced by someone who has never physically worked on their model of computer before," said a person familiar with the matter.

A handful of Geniuses have shared photos of their training experience on social networks over the years, with one person calling it a "life-changing experience" and others echoing similar positivity. One source described it to us as a "rite of passage" and "a milestone in the career" of an Apple retail employee.Apple Store managers have been quietly informing new Genius hires of the changes in recent weeks. It is unclear if the off-site training is permanently discontinued, or if it could return to Infinite Loop or Apple's new campus in the future. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last year, we revealed a new Apple retail position called Technical Expert, which falls between Technical Specialist and Genius. These employees are able to provide mobile repairs, a task previously limited to Geniuses, and troubleshooting for software and products like the Apple Watch and Apple TV.

Article Link: Apple Retail Ends Genius Training in Cupertino, Moves to In-Store Web Seminars

That is really too bad. I was offered a position as a Genius when Apple Stores were a fairly new concept. I ended up turning it down because the pay was not terribly competitive. However, I almost took the job because of the training.

 

[Johnny907]

This seems to be a continuing trend. My last two visits to the Genius Bar have been, in my opinion, less than good. Not a lot of help at the time (and it now takes 3-5 days to even get an appointment!) and they just took the laptops and sent them away for repairs, meaning I or my customer was without a laptop for 5 days. This new "training" philosophy seems to only accentuate that; the techs at the stores will no longer be able to do any actual repairs onsite, just send them away to hardware-trained techs elsewhere. I think the Geniuses are now just software/Apple ID issue support people now. Not actual hardware support.

Seeing how there is very little for onsite tech agents to repair on the new MBP's, how could anyone be surprised by this move?

 

[dysamoria]

Wouldn't bother me if Apple started to migrate to ARM processors... it actually might make their Computers exciting again. Apple market share is so small and like many say, "iToys" is what Apple is about...makes sense when you think about it. Mac's will stay imo but not on Intel.

Because computers are all about being exciting to geeks for whom using a computer is the entire purpose of a computer... /s

As a content creator/power user, I dread the next transition between system architectures that requires developers to rewrite their software at a deep level, rather than simply recompiling. The transition to Intel was a pain in the ass and the big developers took as long as possible, making the overall ecosystem hell for years, and losing many interesting and useful pieces of software.

But far be it from me to hold up your excitement at change for [mostly] the sake of change...

 

[Applebot1]

Because computers are all about being exciting to geeks for whom using a computer is the entire purpose of a computer... /s

As a content creator/power user, I dread the next transition between system architectures that requires developers to rewrite their software at a deep level, rather than simply recompiling. The transition to Intel was a pain in the ass and the big developers took as long as possible, making the overall ecosystem hell for years, and losing many interesting and useful pieces of software.

But far be it from me to hold up your excitement at change for [mostly] the sake of change...

I see where your coming from and not being a power user myself I see it in a different context. However it wouldn't surprise me if the change happened.